Fence post



Jan. 14, 1936.`

.1. B. CUNEO 2,027,765

FENCE POST Filed' om. 13, 1934 /lVI/E/YTOR.

JOHN B.\ CUNEO.

Patented Jan.. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John B. Cuneo, San Francisco, Calif.

Application October 13, 1934, Serial No. 748,166

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in fence posts wherein a concrete body, substantially square in cross section and comprising ground and top sections, has the intermediate portion of said top section reduced in sectional area at each side thereof and forming shoulders at the top and bottom of said reduced section, to lighten said top section and also to provide for pockets at said lower shoulders to receive the ends of lower rails, said post having an inset or insertion of readily penetrable material let into the top as well as one face thereof whereby rails, wire and/or screen may be easily nailed or stapled to said post.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved concrete fence post.

A further object is to provide a new and improved article of manufacture comprising a fence post having a sturdy and rigid ground portion and a topportion or section, said top section being reduced intermediately in sectional 'area to provide lightness and saving of material without decreasing the strength of the post when incorporated in a fence and connected to other members thereof.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved device of the character described having insets or insertions ci a more readily penetrable material than the post itself, such, for instance, as wood or the like, whereby rails, wires or screen may be readily nailed or stapled to said post and thereby effectively and eflioiently supported.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved fence post of concrete having pockets cast in opposite sides thereof to receive and support the ends of fence rails and to be in turn laterally supported by the thrust of said rails.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the preferred form of the device disclosed in the drawing forming a part of the present application, in which- Fig. 1 is a broken front elevation of my improved post, partly broken away and partly in section, disclosing the construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the post;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated;

Fig 5 is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 6 is a broken side elevation of one of the pockets for receiving the ends of a rail.

Referring to the drawing:

The numeral I is used to designate what I term the ground portion and:v 2 the top portion or section of a fence post formed of concrete and substantially square in cross section.

The upper portion 2 has its intermediate portion reduced in sectional area an equal amount upon opposite sides thereof forming upper and lower shoulders 3 and 4 respectively and said lower shoulders 4 have pockets 6 formed therein to receive and support the shouldered ends of bottom rails 'I which rails are shouldered as at 8 so as to bring one end of said rails flush with the front face of the post I, as disclosed in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing.

The top section or portion 2 is further provided with a longitudinally disposed dovetailed groove 9 in preferably the front face thereof, said groove having placed therein, when said groove 9 is cast, a cleat or inset member II of readily penetrable material, such as wood or the like, thereby providing a means or member to which a lower rail I2 may be nailed or otherwise secured, as disclosed in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawing.

The top of the post I is further provided with a socket I4 with which a member I6 of readily penetrable material, such as wood, or the like, may be set to which a top rail II or the like may be readily nailed or otherwise secured.

In operation the post is set in the usual manner with its ground portion or section I set within the ground, as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The top rails Il are nailed, or otherwise secured, to the inset I6 within the socket I4 of the said top section. The bottom rails I are next set in place with their shouldered ends resting within the pockets 6 upon the sides of said top section 2 and resting with one edge ilush with said front face of the post. These bottom rails l may be rigidly held in place by inserting vertically disposed struts I8 between said topi rail Il and the ends of the lower rail 1 as disclosed at the left of Fig. l of the drawing.

The rails I and I'I, when secured in position, will tend, by their thrust against adjacent posts, not shown, to support the top section 2 laterally, or longitudinally, of the fence. Hence, the reiduction of the sectional area laterally or on the sides of the post.

If it is desired to still further support the spaced relation of the posts, the rail I2 may be added by securing the same to the cleats or insets II within the dovetail grooves 9.

Screening, not shown, may be strung and stapled to the rails I1 and 1, or I'I and I2, as the case may be, or if only longitudinally disposed horizontal wires are to be used, they may be effectively secured to the strut I8. vertically disposed pickets or boards may be readily secured to the upper and lower rails l1 and 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- As a new article of manufacture, a fence post comprising a concrete body substantially square in cross section and an intermediate section between the extreme top and ground section relduced an equal amount on opposite sides thereof to` provide an oblong cross section, to provide at horizontal shoulders at the junction of said ground and reduced sections, to support the ends of lower fence rails, said post being further provided With a longitudinally disposed dovetailed groove in one unreduced side thereof and a substantially square recess in the top of said post; and a readily penetrable material mounted Within said dovetailed groove and recess to provide a securing means to which rails, or other members to be supported by said post, may be readi- 10 ly nailed.

. JOHN B. CUNEO. 

